Portable park bench



H. RUSH May 1, 1945.

PORTABLE PARK BENCHES Filed May 15, 1945 31- h FIG. I.

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INVENTOR E I RUSH ATTORNEY .edge of each of parts I is a cleat I3.

Patented May '1, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE" Application May 15, 1943, Serial No. 487,102

2 Claims. (01. 155 191 My invention relates to a bench, such as those commonly used in public parks and other outdoor locations. Such benches have heretofore usually been provided with metal supports. Under present conditions the use of metal for such purposes must be avoided. f

One of the objects of my invention'ls to provide a bench which may be made entirely from wood, with the exception of such nails or screws as may be found necessary or desirable to use in securing the parts of the structure together. And further, to keep the weight of the bench within such limits that it may be readily carried by two persons, thu retaining the portable feature of the benches heretofore in use.

Another object of my invention is to so construct the wooden supports for the bench that they may be made without the employment of Wide boards.

Other objects of my invention relate to specific details Of construction by means of which the necessary strength is secured with the use of a minimum amount of material.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates a bench made in accordance with my invention, Figure l is a front view; Figure 2 is an end elevation; Figure 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2; and'Figure 5 is a section taken on the line 55 of Figure l but showing a modification.

Each of the supports or end piecesi built up of two parts 6 and 1, thus avoiding the necessity of employing a wide board for this purpose. The part 6 projects above part! and serves to carry the back slats 8. The two parts ofthe support are secured together edge to edge along line 9. In addition to being united along line 9, parts 6 and l are connected by a shoe piece It secured to the lower edges of both parts. This shoe piece is made of hard wood, such as oak, which protects the supports against wear and against access of moisture from the ground upon which the shoes rest. While the other parts of the bench may be made of any kind of wood, I prefer to use clear kiln dried cypress free from defect.

The supports are spaced apart by a longitudinal brace ll mortised into the longer parts 6, as shown at I2 (Figure 4). Secured on the upper These cleats have secured to them the seat slats l4 the position of which they determine However, to give better form to the seat the rear slat I4 is preferably tilted by contact with the curved edge of part 6. The front slat I4 is given a similar tilt by beveling oil the front'ends of the cleats. The rear end of the cleats extend beyond the junction of the two parts of the support and have slotted engagement with the upper edge of brace II as shown at 15. Located at the center of the bench is a vertical brace l6 L-shaped in form,

and having one arm secured to the back slats 8,

the other to seat slats M; It also has slotted-engagement with brace II, as shown at I6, and is also attached to the latter brace.

The construction above described will be found to give ample rigidity in benches up t bout ten feet in length. When longer benches are employed, I prefer to supplement the longitudinal brace I l with another similar brace I I, as shown in Figure 5, this brace being placed adjacent to and parallel with brace H. In such case it will be found advisable to employ more than one vertical brace 16.

In securing the various parts together, as

above described, it is preferable to employ wood screw rather than nails. If, however, it is desired to eliminate all metal, non-metallic dowels may be substituted. In addition, the joint may be glued. This is particularly desirable in joint 9 between the two parts of the support. The entire bench should be smoothed and finished with enamel, both to improve its appearance and to protect it from weathering.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patcured to the short members of the supports and also engaging with the longitudinal brace, and seat slats secured to the cleats, the rear seat slat also engaging with the inclined edges of the long member of the support to tiltsaid slat relative to the other seat slats.

2. In a device of the class described, a pair of supports each formed of long and short members joined. together, th long. members extending above the short members, the two membersof each support being connected by a transverse shoe piece attached to both members and contacting the ground, a horizontal brace extending between the supports and mortised into them, cleats secured to the short members of the supports and also engaging with the longitudinal brace, back slats secured to the long members of the supports, seat slats secured to the cleats, one of said seatslats also engaging with the long members of the supports to tilt said slatrelative to the other seat slats, and a vertical brace positioned between the supports and securedto both the back slats and the seat slats, said vertical brace also engaging with the longitudinal brace.

HENRI RUSH. 

